Former Auburn basketball player Charles Barkley will be honored with a statue outside of Auburn Arena.

The news was announced at Saturday’s football game against Arkansas, where a message recorded by Jackson was played on the video board for 87,000 inside Jordan-Hare.

Head basketball coach Bruce Pearl and former teammate Chuck Person praised Barkley, who played for the Tigers from 1981-1984, earning All-America honors before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers. Auburn retired Barkley’s jersey in 2001.

Barkley played in the NBA from 1984-2000, winning an Olympic gold medal and being selected as one of the league’s 50 greatest players during the 50th anniversary season.

In a statement, Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs said Barkley is “a legend on the court who became a cultural icon in America. His many contributions to Auburn, the NBA and society deserve to be honored and recognized. A statue outside the arena he never played in but in many ways helped build is a fitting tribute to the man whose likeness is already known all over the world. This permanent tribute is our way of showing Charles how much Auburn loves and appreciates him.”